Joint



Feb. 19, 1952 R AM 2,586,646

' JOINT Filed March 29, 1946 lllllllll 5m 5 A l5 IEWVEJWEP .Mrmsw/P GRAHAM Patented Feb. 19,

Matthew P. Graham, Detroit, "Mich:, asig nor to Thompson Products, lnc., Cleveland, Ohio, #a

corporation ofOhio Application March'29, 1946,Serial No.'653, (l4'6 '3 Claims. (cleav -90) v "This invention relates to joint assemblies wherein a coiled spring mounts the joint parts for relative movement. Specifically the invention deals with a tie rod joint assembly wherein a coiled spring carries the joint stud in'the joint socket for tilting and rotating movements relative to the socket. V

The invention will hereinafter be specifically described as embodied in'a tie rod joint for the steering linkage of an auto'motive vehicle but it should be understoodth'at the invention is not limited to the specifically described and illustrated embodiment 'since the principles of this invention are generally applicable to joint constructions.

The tie rod joints of "this invention are each composed of a stud with a shank having the conventionally tapered portion for receiving the eye (and of "a ste'ering a'f'm and a threaded end edition for receiving 'a nm; -'to lock *the eye on the tapered portion. However, {the stud 'shank ihstead or having a headed rid portion for mounting in "the socket "of the joint, is "only equipped with a flange at the end thereof refno'te ffomthe threaded end. The f'fiain body portion f the "stud shank is eyli'ndrical and *extends from the larg'e *end' of the 7 tapered portion to the fl'a'nge. The bottom of the stud under the fiaiig'e -liasfafiounded button thereon. flf'he socket has a strai'gh t cylindrical pore extending inwardly from on'e 'en'df'thereof to an end wall which is apertured to receive the stud "sh'an'k therethrou'gh. The socket is closed by -'-a disk or plug having a concave face in the socket for receiving the rounded button of the stud in bearing engagement therewith. A coil s'pring is disposed between the "cylindrical p'ortion of the stud in thesocket and thewalldefininQthe -boreof thesocket. Oneend coil of 'the'spring is bottomed 'on the apertured end wall "of the socket. The other end coil of "the spring is bottomed on the fiangeof thestud. The-spring has-alternate groups of small diameter and large diameter turns 'or coils for respectively engaging 'the'stud shankand the socket bore. The spring accommodates rotation of the stud within the small diameter turns or coils thereof and 'the "stud can tilt relative to the "socket by tilting of the small diameter coils relative to the large diameter coils.

it is then an object 'of this invention to provi'de a :joint assembly wherein the joint parts are operatively mounted by means of a spring.

Another object of thednvention is to :provide a joint assembly wherein a "coil spring mounts a cylindrical bore and 'a stud with a yl the oint parts for rlative rritating tiind 'til ting movements. h V p a p i A "further obj ect 5 of invention {is min'ate the heretofore nece's ai 'y -'loearing s aces for tie 'typ'e joints by futniziiige ugspnngs to carry the joint stiid -'in the joint housing.

A still further object of the invention "is to provide-a tie rod 3' bi-htbotrib'ds'ed-of a socket with I indrical gl'e coilspring h'avin'g altershank ivherein a mating large diameter and email diameter turns or 'coils operatively embraces the to mage the stud and socket relatively rotatable aiid tiltable relation.

the foll wing detailed qe'sefifiti'op or the nnexed sheet of drawings 'wh-i ch by wayidf ferred examme only, illustrates-two einbodiiiints of the invention. 7

On the drawings: I Figure 1 'i's a "fragmentary side elevational view with parts in vertical cross -secti6n*of a tie ftid joint according to this invention.

Figure 2 'is a side nevamem view er wean spring "of the joint "of 1.

Figure '3 is a horizontal cross Seaman new taken along "the line IlEl' IIIfif '1.

Figure 4 is a" view is iiiiil'aj r Fi g. 1 b1l-t illiistratin'g a modified jioint construction aeearamg A's shown on the drawings: -In Fig. 1 the reference riumera generally a joint coristructib'n O po "6. 'o f a socket or housing H haviifg a 1 9,1: raII prcijeetthe "shank or stem -12 fo'i' attaehmem tof a tie rod or the like 'cnet showm. 'Tlie housing n has a cylindrical bore '13 'eiitfeniding iri'vs' aiiily from one en thereof to an en'd nang'e or wan 2:1 q'llle other dihfefif. The "Wall H 515 apertured at l' 5.

end tl'l'redf cooperating therewith t?) d fine a shoulder-l1. A closure disk r pmg q-tiis seated in the cQunterbOre rs "against the simmer n and is secured to the housing n by' s'pi-niiifig over the rim :pemun er the hous ng at the tree 3 end of the counterbore to provide a closure flange l9 underlying the peripheral margin of the disk 18. The disk l8 has a dished or concave wall portion 20 in the housing The joint 10 also includes a stud 2|. Stud 2| has a cylindrical threaded top end portion 22, a tapered intermediate portion 23 and a cylindrical main body portion 24 extending from the large end of the tapered portion 23. The cylinorical portion 24 terminates in an end flange 25 providing a shoulder 26 around the bottom of the cylindrical portion. A lug 2'! depends from the central portion of the bottom of the stud beneath the flange 25. This lug 21 has a convex or rounded end wall 28.

The cylindrical portion 24 of the stud 2| fits freely in the aperture I of the socket H but the flange 25 is of larger diameter than this aperture. The end wall 28 on the lug 21 of the stud 2| mates with and rides on the concave wall 20 of the closure disk IS. The stud can thereby readily tilt in the socket II.

The joint also includes a coiled spring 29 which mounts the stud in the socket for relative rotat-- ing and tilting movements. The spring 29 as illustrated is composed of wire or rod having a square cross section. The spring 29 has alternating groups of large diameter coils and small diameter coils, with the large diameter coils sized to snugly fit in the bore I3 of the socket H and with the small diameter coils sized for snugly embracing the cylindrical portion 24 of the stud 2|. A group of large diameter coils is provided at one end of the spring and a group of small diameter coils is provided at the other end of the spring. As shown, the spring 29 has a large diameter coil 29a at one end thereof bottomed on the wall M and snugly engaging the bore l3 of the socket IL This end coil 29a extends for two full turns around the spring and then enters a small diameter coil 2% which snugly embraces the stud portion 24 for two full turns. The small coil 2% then again extends to a large diameter coil 29c again snugly embracing the bore l3 of the socket H for two full turns. The coil 290 then extends to a small diameter coil 29d again snugly embracing the portion 26 of the stud 2| and bottomed on the shoulder 26 provided by the flange 25 of the stud. The spring 29 is held under compression between the shoulder 26 of the stud and the wall M of the socket by the closure disk or plug l8 which acts on the rounded end 28 of the lug 2! on the stud. The end coils of the spring are thereby maintained in engagement with the stud and socket respectively and the rounded end of the stud is maintained in riding engagement with the concave Wall 20 of the plug 18. The wall 20 and the rounded end 28 preferably have fragmental spherical contours struck from a radius centered on the tilting center for the stud as shown by the radius R centered on the tilting center C for the stud.

The square cross section of the coil wire or rod provides cylindrical inner and outer walls for the spring which have full seating engagement with the cylindrical bore |3 of the socket H and the cylindrical portion 24 of the stud 2|. The stud 2| can thereby rotate by its own axis in the coils 29b and 29d of the spring. In addition the stud can tilt in any plane relative to the housing H since the small diameter coils 29b and 2% can flex and be cooked relative to the large diameter coils 29a and 290 without unseating either group of coils from their re- 4 spective seating surfaces. The tilting movement is maintained about the center C since the compression of the spring causes the lug on the end of the stud to ride on the closure plug for the socket.

If desired according to this invention wire of circular cross section can be used to form the spring. In such constructions, however, it is preferable to use a sleeve surrounding the stud so that the stud can freely rotate within the coil spring. Therefore, in the joint 10a of Fig. 4 parts identical with parts described in connection with Figs. 1 and 3 have been marked with the same reference numerals. As shown in Fig. 4, the cylindrical main body portion 24 of the stud 2| receives a cylindrical sleeve 3|! therearound bottomed on the shoulder 26 of the stud flange 25. This sleeve 30 is preferably split or formed in two longitudinal halves so that it can be maintained in good bearing contact with the stud. The sleeve is preferably composed of a self-lubricating material such as graphite impregnated bronze, lubricant impregnated porous sintered powdered metal, or the like.

The coil spring 3| for the joint Hm is composed of wire or rod of circular cross section as shown. It has large diameter end coils 3Ia seated in the bore l3 of the socket H and bottomed on the end wall I4 of the socket. These coils merge into small diameter coils 3|b snugly embracing the sleeve 30 on the stud. The coils 31b then extend to large diameter coils 3|c embracing the bore l3. The coils 3|c then extend to small diameter end coils 3|d embracing the sleeve 36 and bottomed on the flange shoulder 26 of the stud. The stud will rotate in the sleeve 30 and the spring will accommodate relative tilting of the stud and socket as explained hereinabove.

The major diameter coils of the springs for the studs of this invention are preferably wound so that they are slightly larger than the inside diameter of the socket. This arrangement insures a tight fit between the spring and the socket. The small diameter coils of the spring are likewise slightly smaller than the stud portion on which they are seated so that when the stud is pushed through the spring the small diameter coils will unwind slightly to effect a snug turning fit relationship between the stud and the spring. When the spring with the stud therein is pushed into the socket, the spring will elongate slightly. The plug or closure disk is then set into position in the socket and as explained above effects a compression of the spring so that the lug end 28 of the stud will be urged against the wall 20 of the closure plug. A fixed tilting center 0 is thereby maintained for the stud.

The spring always returns the stud to a position parallel with the axis of the socket. However, as explained, the spring will permit relative tilting of the stud and socket in all planes while accommodating rotation of the stud in the spring.

From the above descriptions it will be understood that this invention provides an inexpensive joint construction wherein a coiled spring operatively mounts the joint parts for coaction.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. A joint construction comprising a socket having a bore extending inwardly from one end thereof to an apertured end wall providing a shoulder in the bore, a stud projecting freely through the apertured end wall of the socket and having a cylindrical portion disposed in said bore in spaced relation therefrom, a flange on said stud in said bore providing a shoulder at the end of the cylindrical portion, a lug depending from said flanged portion of the stud and having a rounded end Wall, a closure plug secured to the socket in the open end of the bore having a concave portion receiving the rounded end of the lug, and a single coil spring having large diameter coils snugly seated in said bore and small diameter coils snugly embracing said cylindrical portion of the stud, one of the small diameter coils being bottomed on the shoulder provided on the stud by said flange and one of the large diameter coils being bottomed on the shoulder provided by the end wall ef the housing, said stud being rotatable within said small diameter coils and said small diameter coils being spaced from said large diameter coils to permit tilting of the stud in all planes relative to the socket without unseating the large diameter coils from the socket bore.

2. Ajoint for automotive steering linkages and the like comprising a housing having a cylindrical bore extending inwardly from one end face thereof to an aperturedend wall at the other end face thereof, a stud having a cylindrical shank extending freely through said apertured end wall into said bore, a flange on said shank in said bore of smaller diameter than the bore but of larger diameter than the aperture in said end wall, a rounded endflon said stud in said bore, a closure member secured to the housing for closing the bore, said closure member having a concave face in said bore securing said rounded end of the stud thereon, said concave face being struck from a radius centered on the desired tilting center for the stud, and a. coil spring compressed between the end wall of the housing and the flange of the stud having alternate large diameter coils engaging the bore and small diameter coils engaging the stud to mount the stud for rotation and tilting in the housing.

3. A joint for automotive steering linkages and the like comprising a housing having a cylindrical bore extending inwardly from one end face thereof to an apertured end wall at the other end face thereof, a stud having a cylindrical shank extending freely through said apertured end wall into said bore, a flange on said shank in said bore of smaller diameter than the bore but of larger diameter than the aperture in said end wall, a rounded end on said stud in said bore, a closure member secured to the housing for closing the bore, said closure member having a concave face in said bore securing said rounded end of the stud thereon, said concave face being struck from a radius centered on the desired tilting center for the stud, a sleeve in said bore embracing said stud in rotatable relation thereon, and a coil spring compressed between the end Wall of the housing and the flange of the stud having alternate large diameter coils engaging the bore and small diameter coils engaging the sleeve to mount the stud for tilting with the sleeve in the housing and for rotation of the stud in the sleeve.

MATTHEW P. GRAHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 659,874 Rabbeth Oct. 16, 1900 985,518 Elers Feb. 28, 1911 986,274 Finkelstein Mar. 7, 1911 1,077,410 Kling Nov. 4, 1913 1,264,742 Aldrich Apr. 30, 1918 1,555,822 Benjamin Oct. 6, 1925 1,639,336 Gannett Aug. 16, 1927 2,076,028 Hufferd Apr. 6, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 280,933 Great Britain Nov. 17, 1927 771,366 France July 23, 1934 

